Some of New Zealand's world champion surf lifesavers are now on the same side as the Australians they defeated in Adelaide last weekend, as the focus turns to the inter-club competition at Rescue 2012.

Trans-Tasman cooperation will be on display when Gold Coast clubs Northcliffe, Kurrawa and Sydney powerhouse Manly mount their challenges for international supremacy.

Northcliffe will be led by Australian captain Shannon Eckstein who won the oceanman, single ski, board and surf race in the team event. This weekend he attempts to emulate compatriot Trevor Hendy and win a fourth world Ironman title.

Eckstein will be joined by two members of the victorious New Zealand squad, captain Andrew McMillan and vice-captain Kevin Morrison.

Kurrawa will be boosted by Paul Cracroft-Wilson, the Kiwi partner of Australian representative Melissa Howard and New Zealand's national team flags champion Chanel Hickman.

A star-studded Manly squad also has the services of 19-year-old Devon Halligan, the Australian under-19 ironwoman champion who played a leading role in New Zealand's triumph on Glenelg Beach after switching allegiance from her birthplace in April.

Kurrawa will field one of the strongest all-round beach squads in the world with eight-time Australian champion Howard and nine-time winner Simon Harris joined by their Kiwi rivals Hickman and Cracroft-Wilson.

Howard was beaten by Hickman in last weekend's beach flags final while Cracroft-Wilson iwas third in the beach sprint and claimed silver in the flags.